LETHBRIDGE, AB - The top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds (12-0) fought off another worthy opponent on Friday night, downing the pesky Lethbridge Pronghorns 88-78 to remain undefeated this season.
Star point guard
Josh Whyte was the difference maker again for the T-Birds scoring a season-high 28 points (10-17 FG, 8-10 FT) and adding team-highs in both rebounds (9) and assists (7).
Whyte was UBC's go-to guy the entire contest, however, he got big first half contributions from post
Graham Bath who scored 12 of 16 points over the opening 20 minutes while
Brent Malish scored 14 points and hauled in five rebounds in the second half to lead UBC back from a 10-point half-time deficit.
The 'Horns (6-8) got a monster performance from Danhue Lawrence who scored a team-high 25 points and a game-best 10 rebounds. Point guard Jeff Price finished with 18 points and seven boards and Quinn Van Gaalen added 12 off the pine.
It was Lawrence early on who paced the 'Horns with 12 points in the first quarter, but UBC leveled the score at 24 apiece thanks to a Bath jumper with almost no time left on the clock.
Lethbridge opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run and a two-pointer from Price gave them an eight point lead midway through the frame. Lawrence quickly added a three-pointer, one of the 'Horns seven in the first half, to give the hosts a nine-point lead. They extended their advantage to 13 but Malish pulled UBC within 10 just before the break with his only field goal of the first half.
UBC came out strong in the second half and the 'Horns, who had shot in excess of 57% from the field in the first 20 minutes, were ice cold, missing their first six shots of the third quarter.
A three-pointer from Malish, one of three he would hit in the second half en route to a 17-point performance, gave UBC their first lead since the opening quarter with 5:43 to play in the third. The T-Birds extended that buffer to as many as six, however, their lead shrank to just one early in the fourth quarter.
The T-Birds responded with a 6-0 run and the 'Horns never got back to within a single basket of the no. 1 ranked team in the CIS.
UBC travels to Calgary Saturday to battle the no. 5 ranked Dinos (11-3) while the 'Horns remain at home to host the UVIC Vikes (7-5).
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